Hearts Never Fade
by painterofemotions
Summary: Sora, Goofy and Donald suffer damage to their gummy ship after crashing through a Warp Hole. They discover a new world full of ninjas and powerful adversaries. He senses that darkness has already come upon this world...and is hidden in the depths of one of Team 7 members. Sora and his friends must help Konoha fight the Heartless and powerful enemies as the Chunin Exams begin.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A New World**

The young brown haired boy looked out the ship window into the spacious and colorful universe. Somewhere out there in that profound place were two people that he loved more than himself. Somewhere out there were his two dearest friends that he held close to his heart. They were out there...somewhere...Sighing heavily he leaned against the arm rest and allowed his mind to take back to blissful times. Memories of his mother and father and friends flooded his thoughts like a raging waterfall.

_I wonder...how mom and dad are doing...and everyone on Destiny Island. I miss them a whole lot!_

He frowned and tussled his brown spiky hair, scratching his scalp. The dim blue and red lights from the buttons and gadgets flashed repeatedly in a lullaby fashion. He rubbed his forehead, trying to forget the memories until later.

"Hey Sora! Aren'cha gonna be headn' to bed soon?" Sora looked behind him to see his light-hearted companion, clad in pin stripe pajamas and holding a plushy of King Mickey. Sora smiled even though his mind was weary.

"Hiya Goofy."

"Aren'cha gett'n tired? We've still got a long ways ta' go ya know!" Sora nodded in agreement. He grinned as Goofy's trademark snort rumbled in his ears. They did have a long ways to go. Over a day ago they had left Halloween Town and it took several days to reach Hallow Bastion. Sora knew he needed rest to be ready to fight. He needed to be prepared for whatever lay ahead of him because there was no telling what would happen.

"Hey, what's that?!" Goofy cried out. Suddenly, a strong force rocketed the gummy ship, sending Sora flying from his seat. Bright red lights flashed in rapid repeat around the cockpit. Messages of "warning" and "danger" filled the overheads as Sora tried to regain his balance. Another hit sent him crashing into the floor, causing him to bump his head on the wall. He cried out and reached up to rub the throbbing spot.

"What's going on?!" He yelled above the speakers. Goofy shook his head.

"Oh, I-I-I don't know!" Goofy yelled. The door swung open to reveal a duck, holding a wand.

"Hey, what's the big idea-ack! A warp hole!" Sora looked out the lare window. Sure enough a large black hole was before them, surges of lightening weaving in and out of it. The loudness of the hole itself was enough to make Sora cover his ears. It was like a huge vacuum trying to swallow them up whole.

"We have to get out of here!" Sora yelled. He ran to the cockpit seat and strapped himself in, grabbing hold of the steering handle.

"It's too late! We're not gonna make it Sora!" Donald yelled. He held onto Goofy, trembling with fear.

"We have to! We-" Everything went black and before Sora could finish his lament he felt something hit his head...and his vision blured.

_Riku...Kairi..._

* * *

"I've spotted the target...everyone more in carefully..." The raven haired boy moved cautiously towards the tree. Every couple of steps he stopped and listened to the small sounds around him. He reminded himself that this mission was vital for advancement into the next mission. No one...nothing could stand in his way. He wanted to get it over without casualties... In the corner of his eye he saw a flash of pink and frowned. He held the ear piece closer to his face.

"Sakura...do not move from that spot. She'll see you."

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun! I won't move from this spot."

_Good girl..._

Sasuke moved closer to the tree. Because the area was heavily forested, the ground was decorated with many branches, leaves and twigs. He knew that one break of a tiny twig could make the target panic and run. And that would be just his luck...

"Sakura...I'm going to approach her from the back. Cover the front..."

"Ok, Sasuke-kun." Sasuke crept through the brush and used chakra to cover the sounds of the forest ground. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he came closer to the tree. Hot blood pulsed through his ears as he laid a hand on a branch and lightly swung herself up. Sasuke looked back and saw Sakura behind him, silently carrying a bag. He motioned for her to circle around in front of him. She nodded.

There! He saw her! She was sitting gracefully on a limb, licking her pink paws. Her crescent moon eyes sparkled beautifully in the sunlight, alert to anything that might disturb her outing. A gold collar shone brightly around her slender neck. Sasuke climbed up farther. He searched for any footholds where he could push up farther. His eye finally caught a solid branch. He grasped it and with a deep breath, he swung up.

_Success..._

"Get ready Sakura...on my count in three...One, two-"

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! I found it! I found the cat!" A boisterous voice shouted. Immediately the animal perched up and sprung from its seat. Sasuke mumbled curses under his breath. That annoying and raspy voice...that blonde hair could belong to no other than the most stupid idiot in the world!

"Naaaaruto!" A high pitched voice shrieked through the woods. Instantly following was a loud smack sending the blonde ninja to the forest ground. The thunking of fist meeting cranium mercilessly made Naruto cry out for his team mate to stop before she murdered him. Sasuke sighed and slipped down from the tree.

_Marvelous..._

"We were so close!" Sakura yelled. She turned to Naruto, her eyes full of fire and anger.

"S-S-S-Sa-Sa-kura-c-c-chan!" Naruto yelled and threw his hands over his head.

"You guys went off without me!"

"Because you always screw things up! Sasuke-kun worked so hard to make sure we-"

"Instead of running your mouth, shouldn't you be chasing after the target?" Sasuke snapped. Sakura stopped her ranting and frowned at Sasuke's sudden outburst.

"Sasuke-kun-"

"Let's get going." Sasuke ran in the direction the cat had ran and Sakura followed. Naruto stuck his tongue out and made faces but followed regardless.

"Next time you do something stupid, don't do it when I'm around. Your stupidity might rub off on me." Naruto sneered.

"Shut up, teme!"

"Dobe." Sakura rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"Naruto shut up before I kick you in the nuts!" She yelled, clinching her fist tightly. Naruto gulped. His hands covered his crotch.

"We're splitting up. Sakura you take towards town, I'll go north. Naruto...where ever. Just don't screw up this time."

"You can't tell me what to do! One day I'll be giving you orders! I'll be the Hoka-"

"Naruto!" Sakura shrieked. After abruptly shutting up, Naruto sneered and ran. Sakura started up a tree calling back that she would stay in touch of she found anything. Sasuke veered off and soon he was out of sight. He couldn't believe that he had been so close...just within an arms breadth of the target. Sasuke didn't hide the fact he was angry...

_That idiot...always messing up stuff! I can't stand that kid...I don't know I'm on the same team as him. We're clearly different...I'm way better than he is! If I fail this mission because of him I'll-_

"Ah! Ah! Help! Stay away! Stay away from me!"

_Sakura!_

* * *

The shadows continued to follow her like dogs after a meaty scent as she ran through the dense forest. Sakura dodged another of the terrible shadows as it rose from the ground reaching out for her foot. She flipped over it and threw her last kunai at it. It went right threw the dark apparition to the ground. Sakura screamed again as more followed.

"What are these things?!"

_Nothing works on them! I've even tried genjutsu! What are they?! They're not illusions! I can't sense any chakra!_

Sakura kept running as fast as she could. She felt like she would collapse at any moment as her knees began to ache. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her mind raced as rolled to avoid another shadow yet hitting a tree. She yelled in pain as a sharp feeling ran up her back. Suddenly a shadow caught her by her leg and she kicked at it.

"No! Let go! Sasuke-kun! Noo!" Sakura screamed and struggled aimlessly trying to get away, digging her hands in the dirt. She could feel it...the darkness sucking her into a hidden depth of nothingness...She could feel it...something in her heart was being distorted...

"Let her go!" Sakura screamed as something jumped over her, hearing the _swish _of a weapon in front of her. She frantically scrambled up from the ground and clung to a tree.

_Who is he?! What type of weapon is that...a key?!_

A kid about her age disposed of the shadows easily...she couldn't believe it!

"Sora! D-don't go running off like that! We don't even know where we are!" A squeaky voice called from afar. Sakura gasped as white duck appeared from behind a tree carrying a staff. Sora grinned sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. He leaned against his Keyblade lazily.

"Sorry about that Donald! But that Heartless...oh hey!" Sora faced Sakura and started walking towards her. She back away.

"Oh please don't leave! I won't hurt you! My name is Sora...um...what's yours?" Sakura bit her lip. Who where these guys? She'd never seen them around Konoha before...

"Um-um...This is Donald and Goofy...I'm Sora!"

"What were those shadows? Are you from the Nara clan? Is that why they were following me?! Is this some prank from Shikamaru?!" Sakura yelled, poitning her finger accusingly at the trio. Sora backed away, his hands in front of him.

"Nara clan...?" The trio said in harmony, and confusion. They looked at each other clearly ignorant as to what the pink hard girl was referring to. Goofy shrugged.

"We ain't from no Nara clan! Those things were Heartless!" He explained. Sakura titled her head, thinking on the name...they certainly sounded like terrible beings.

"Heartless...Where did they come from? What are they doing here?" Sakura asked, frantically. Sora bit his lip and smiled.

"It's a long story actually..." Sakura smiled, now feeling quite safe but also foolish for her attitude. She came from behind the tree and extended her hand.

"I'm Haruno Sakura." Sora took it and shook it heartily.

"Nice to meet you Sakura!"

"Oi! Sakura-chan!" A voice shouted out in the woods. Suddenly a flash of blue went past Sora and next thing he knew he was dangling upside down. He kicked and wiggled, but the twine was tied fast around him. He stiffened as he felt s sharp object press against his throat.

"Sora!" Donald yelled. He _swooshed_ his staff ready to attack but he was clobbered by several people in bright orange suit. Goofy yelled as he lifted in the air by a trap and dropped his shield.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Protested Sora. "We didn't do anything wrong!"

"No one hurts Sakura-chan!" The blonde boy yelled. The kid with the black hair scowled and pulled the twine tighter around Sora tighter.

"N-no! Let him go! H-He saved me from those things! Sasuke-kun let him down! He saved me from those...those...Sora-kun?!"

"Heartless! I'm the only one that can defeat them! There will be more coming soon! Let me down!" Sakura nodded, and pleading looked at Sasuke.

"Let him go! If there are more of those things...we need to talk to Kakashi-sensei and Sandaime-sama!" Sakura pleaded.

"Get off him, Naruto!" She yelled. Sasuke mumbled and jumped down from the tree, allowing Sora to crash to the forest floor. He sauntered over the brown haired kid, glaring at him while twirling his kunai. Naurot grinned and got off Goofy and his clones disappeared into _poofs_ of smoke. Sora sat up, not believing his eyes.

"Did...did they just disappear? How did you do that?!" Naruto laughed loudly and smiled.

"Clones are my specialty! I'm the best at them!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and started to walk towards town.

"Let's get going." The group began making their way through the forest.

"Say...what's a Sandaime?" Goofy asked. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke all stared at them as if they were from a different planet. Naruto's mouth hung open in shock.

"You don't know who Old Man Sarutobi is?! He's the Hokage!"

"Hokage is the strongest ninja in the land...he's almost like a king." Sakura said, matter of factually. Sasuke nodded.

"Ahhh..." Sora, Goofy and Donald sighed together.

"We'll talk to Kakashi later...we still have a feline to catch."

* * *

The town lights had come on now that dusk was nearing. Sunset bathed the valley of Konoha in deep hues of red and orange. The townspeople and peddlers were still busy though, buying and selling wares and the streets were crowded. Ichiraku's Ramen Shop was still open for business and this is where Team and their new friends sat. "So...these shadows called Heartless are made from the darkness of people's hearts, eh? Can we get ever get rid of them for good?" Kakashi asked. His face seemed tense under the black mask. Sora shook his head.

"Darkness will always be in the world. But we can always stop the ones who will use it for evil! I don't think we can ever truly defeat the heartless..."

"Yep! As long as der's darkness in evry' heart there ain't no way they'll go away for good!" Goofy explained, shaking his head.

"But what are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked. Sora smiled, but Sakura sensed there was a tint of sadness in his eyes.

"Well...we were on our gummy ship...looking for my friends Riku and Kairi. We lived together on Destiny Islands...until the Heartless came and took over my world. My parents...my friends..." Sakura patted Sora on his back. She couldn't believe that he had lost everything that was dear to him! How terrible!

"I'm so sorry, Sora-kun." Sora smiled, trying to get his spirits up. He had found people who were nice and kind. That something to smile about!

"I know they're out there somewhere!" Goofy nodded vigorously. Sasuke remained silent, sipping his ramen. He stole glances at Sora, eyeing him with slight interest.

"You said..." Sasuke began, "You said you lived in a different world..." Sora perked up from slurping his ramen. A small noodle clung to his chin. Sakura giggled and wiped it off with a napkin. Naruto frowned.

Sora blushed.

"I'm not sure how to describe it...but you see there are different worlds out there. At first I didn't understand until I met Donald and Goofy. But these other worlds are being taken over by the Heartless too...some of them are already filled with darkness."

"How'd ya get to different worlds?!" Naruto asked eagerly.

"We used a gummy ship-hey our ship! We wandered away from it...and I don't know how to get back there!"

"That's right!" Donald agreed.

Kakashi stroked his chin, as if he were thinking deeply.

"Well there's no use looking for it tonight. You'll have to wait until the morning. And...you'll need to find a place to stay."

* * *

**Hello! Thanks so much for reading this story! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of "Hearts Never Fade"! I hope to update every two weeks. I can't make promises at the moment because of the wedding and then the honeymoon :)**

**Also, thank you for being faithful in reading and reviewing "His Butler, Genesis to New Demons"! I had a blast writing that story and getting to read all your comments and reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Life in Konoha**

Sora nervously looked around the dimly lighted room. A twin sized bed was adjacent from the door with a small night stand. The sheets were a dark blue with fluffy white pillows at the top. It had clearly been swept and kept up, the smell of disinfectant was still lingering on the floor and furniture. The room was simple, a small desk in the corner next to the glass sliding door that led to the balcony. There was a small couch in the opposite corner with a square rug. It was a lot bigger than Sora's back at Destiny Island...

"Not bad!" Sora exclaimed and threw himself on the mattress. Sasuke leaned against the doorway, watching Sora's lame excitement. He didn't know why Kakashi had forced this kid on him...but he sure knew that he didn't like him. Kakashi hadn't let him argue with him, his sensei didn't even ask if it was ok that this kid stayed in his family home...he wasn't given a darn choice.

_Kakashi-sensei can just wait...I'll get him at training tomorrow...I'll make sure he pays!_

"Just don't go wandering around...or I'll kill you." Sora ignored the death glare that Sasuke was giving him and continued to burrow his face deep within the soft pillows.

"Sure, sure...I won't wonder around!"

"Kakashi is meeting with the Hokage tomorrow morning. Breakfast is at 6 o'clock. I'll leave you if you're late. I have training tomorrow at the bridge."

"Ok! Can I come with you?"

"I don't care what you do." With that the door slammed, leaving Sora in the room alone. He frowned at Sasuke's rude attitude towards him, and wondered why Kakashi even suggested that he stay with him.

**_"Sasuke-kun could use someone like you, Sora-kun. He needs some light in him."_**

"Light in him? What's that mean?" Sora turned to lie on his stomach, a little object catching the corner of his eye. On the night stand a small picture frame stood, next to the lamp. Two boys, one older and the other younger, were smiling and standing on a deck near a lake.

_Is that Sasuke? Who's that older guy? It looks like his brother…gosh they look just alike!_

They seemed so carefree and happy, Sora wondered if the little child in the picture really was Sasuke…his face no longer held that glow…instead it was replaced by a sour, almost painful expression…

_Sasuke…why don't you smile anymore?_

* * *

Sora couldn't remember the last time he had woken up to a soft bed. Usually he slept on the bunks in the gummy ship and those were extremely uncomfortable! However, today he didn't mind waking up to the sun shining through the window and onto his face. He stretched…boy did he sleep well! Sora threw the covers aside and planted his bare feet on the cool wood floor. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It read a quarter to six. Sora smiled, proud that he had woke on time. Sora scuffled around the room to get dressed. He shoved his foot in his shoes and ran a comb through his messy hair.

_Ah…I need to use the bathroom…where is it?_

Sora poked his head through the door and tiptoed out…

"Hey, I thought I told you not to wander around?" Sora jumped at the sudden voice and turned behind him. Sasuke was standing on the top step, glaring at him with angry eyes. Sora laughed nervously and scratched his head.

"I was looking for the bathroom! You never told me where it was!" Sasuke rolled his eyes and pointed down the hall.

"Third door on the left."

"T-thanks…"

"Breakfast is on the table. Hurry up so we can leave."

* * *

The sunlight bathed the trio as they walked through the streets of Konoha's market district. All the colorful vendors and peddlers made Sora think of his home on Destiny Islands…Some children ran past him, laughing and playing with each other while their parents walked, relaxed behind them.

_I remember when I used to be so carefree…_

"Ah! I don't see why we have to take stupid tests anyway! They aren't any fun!" Naruto complained, throwing his hand in the air. He sauntered next to Sora, his smile wide. It was apparent that he was ecstatic about being out of class for the day. Sakura grinned but shook her head.

"Usually studying and taking test make people smarter; I can't say the same for you Naruto!" Sora snickered as Naruto's smile turned into a scowl. Sakura smiled and stuck her tongue out at Naruto.

"Oh! There's the bridge we meet at! Come on, Sora-kun! I'll show you the tree swing!" Sakura grabbed Sora's hand and ran with him. She slowed when they reached the red bridge, but continued to hold his hand as they cross over it. Naruto sloshed behind them, hands deep in his pockets and his lips forming a pout.

"There it is Sora-kun! The tree swing! Come on!" Sakura ran to the swing and motioned for Sora to join her.

"I used to have one of these back home…" Sora mused.

"Ne, Sora-kun…what was it like in your world? I-I never knew there were other worlds…out there." Sakura said, dreamily gazing at the sky. Sora sat against the tree trunk, watching the clouds pass. He pointed to his bracelet.

"My friend Riku gave this to me when I used to live on Destiny Islands…my friend Kairi lived there too! There was sea water all round…and we would swim everyday…every morning when you woke up there was fresh air and a sea smell. My mom would make dumplings all the time…and my dad would show me how to carve things out of wood…"

A strange sadness came over him…thinking about his friends and family…_ I remember when Kairi and I used to watch clouds together…and Riku would take me fishing…_

"You must really miss your home then…?" Sakura asked quietly. Sora nodded, and then smiled.

"Sure I do! But I know…Riku and Kairi are out there somewhere…" Naruto huffed, kicking rock through the green grass. He glared at Sora, something deeply upsetting him. Finally, he shrugged and walked off towards the red bridge.

_What's his problem?_

"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun! Come swing with me!" Sakura yelled, calling Sasuke over to them. The dark haired boy was just walking over the bridge, his hands stuffed inside his pockets. Sasuke ignored her and turned his back to them. Sakura frowned and small tears formed in her eyes. Sora's brows furrowed in anger over Sasuke's treatment of Sakura. How mean!

"Say Sakura…is that Sasuke guy always such a party pooper?" Sakura giggled, and then returned to her solemn face.

"He didn't always used to be like that…" Sora sat next to Sakura on the swing.

If he wasn't always like that…then what was he like before?

"What happened?" Sakura turned away. Her voice was shaky and uneven.

"Something bad…that changed him forever."

* * *

The lanterns dimly lit the streets with enough light that the two boys could see several yards in front of them. The once busy roads had now become quite as families and merchants turned in for the night to begin tomorrow anew. The streets of Konoha were silent...save for the chirping of the crickets and night bugs that Sora enjoyed listening to. He and Sasuke walked side by side. For the whole day, the raven haired boy had uttered less than a word to him. He had avoided his classmates and sulked in the back of the classroom, constantly glaring into the distance as if eyeing some foreign enemy. Sora couldn't quite place his finger on it...there seemed to be so much...sorrow in Sasuke's gaze...

**_"Something bad happened, Sora-kun. Since that day...Sasuke-kun has never been the same..."_**

Sora thought about Sakura's vague and teary explanation for Sasuke's cold demeanor...what had happened to make Sasuke so...detached? What was so bad that Sasuke's heart...hoarded darkness? Sora figured, since he had not seen Sasuke earlier that day, except when he was with Sakura that he would try to strike up some form of conversation with him. Sora grinned, trying to lighten the mood and turned to Sasuke.

"So, Sasuke! Why'd you decide to become a ninja?" Sora asked, honestly eager to know more about him. The dark haired kid said nothing, only glared at him and continued walking. Sora frowned at Sasuke's rude response.

_Geesh, what's got this kid's boxers in a bunch?_

Finally, after several minutes of walking they finally reached the gate that led to Sasuke's home. He lived in a regular traditional Japanese house, with a small gated courtyard and pond. He stood stiffly, gazing at the gate as if he were in a daze. Suddenly, he shook his head and mumbled something incoherent, searching through his pocket to find his key. Several seconds later Sasuke unlocked the gate and mumbled to Sora to hurry up. Sasuke opened the door and allowed Sora to walk in before him. He removed his shoes in the foyer and slipped on house slippers. Sora did the same.

"I have training tomorrow and then a debriefing for a mission. Kakashi wants you and your friends to be there. You might learn some things." Sora nodded.

"Did you ever find your ship?" Sora nodded.

"Donald, Goofy and some scouts found it today...it's gonna take a long time to fix it. So they might not come tomorrow..." Sasuke shrugged. They left the foyer and continued through the dining room, a small light lit up the hallway from the kitchen. Sasuke cursed under his breath.

"What's wrong?"

"I left the kitchen light on..." Sora cocked his head to the side, curious as to why this little thing irritated Sasuke so much. Sasuke sighed heavily and rushed into the kitchen, throwing his bag on the kitchen table.

"Mom hated when I left the lights on...it's waste of energy." Sora grinned, remembering all the qurks about his own mother.

"Where's your mom?" He asked, completely absent mindly. Sasuke froze for a moment, to Sora it seemed like he was carried off into a completely different...the expression on Sasuke's face was first blank and then slowly turned to annoyance. He rolled his eyes at Soora and glanced at the wall clock...it read half past 5. He had enough time to cook something...good. Sora watched as Sasuke pulled out vegetables and meat from the frig.

"You can cook?!" Sora asked in awe.

"You can't?" Sora's gaze darkened and he twiddled his fingers.

"I can make toast."

"Pfft."

"Hey don't laugh! So what if you can cook!" Sasuke shrugged and turned the stove on. He tried to hide a grin while listening to Sora boast about how his taost was the best in the world.

* * *

Sasuke slowly closed the door to his bedroom and tip-toed down the hall. He cursed the creaking of the beams in the floor that interrupted his attempt at silence. THe wood floor was cold against his feet and he found himself wishing he had socks on. Sasuke stopped at a door and placed his ear against the wood.

_He's got to be sleeping..._

Sasuke back away from the door and shoved his hands in his sweat pant pockets. Walking back into his bedroom, he sat on the window seal and opened the window. Sasuke swung his legs out and clambered out bottom first. He held on tightly to the window seal, and then jumped and grabbed hold of the water pipe and started to climb up. He stopped when he reached the top...hearing a voice.

"Riku...Kairi...I wish I knew where I could find you guys!" Sasuke heard movement and ducked below the shingles that covered the edge of of the roof. He berated himself for his classless act of eavesdropping.

"There's this one kid here...his name is Sasuke. He's a bit of a butt head, and he's not very nice...but there's something about him. Almost like you, Riku..." Sora sighed, thinking about Sasuke.

_Why is there so much darkness in his heart? What's happened...to make his heart so...full of darkness? I can sense it..._

Sora was becoming more worried with ever passing day. Sasuke was harboring something bad deep inside his heart. Sora knew all too well...that if Sasuke kept the darkness there and the sadness...Heartless would not be too far behind.

* * *

**Hello! Well here is the second chapter of "Hearts Never Fade"! I hope you all had a good Labor Day! I'm super excited for this story, mainly because I'm following the manga story line pretty much and I feel like this will be a fairly short, but good story. Please don't forget to review and tell me what you think! My wedding is this weekend, on Sat and I am super pumped, and at the same time frustrated and stressed...I guess its only natural for the bride haha. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Intense Training! Sora's First Mission!**

Earlier that morning, Sora, Donald and Goofy had scouted around the surrounding forest searching for missing gummy ship pieces. They had found many, though Donald and Goofy weren't sure which piece would go where and what each piece was for…Sora recalled sighing throughout most of the morning and watching Donald and Goofy sort through the rubbish. Their gummy ship was mostly intact, but the ships doors had come off in the crash, and there was damage to the engine…

_This is bad…in this world…I don't think they have anything that could help fix our ship…we might be here for a while! This is not good…_

* * *

"We perform ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu with our chakra. Now ninjutsu is the most common-hey! Wake up!" The pink haired girl shouted. At the sound of Sakura's enraged voice, Naruto awoke nearly falling off the side of the bridge he was sitting on. Sora's eyes widened as Sakura clinched her fist in anger at the blonde haired boy.

_Sakura sure gets angry easy…_

Kakashi rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. He closed the orange book he had been reading and rubbed the side of his head, murmuring beneath his breath.

"Thank you, Sakura. That's all for now." Sakura frowned, but went to her seat by Sasuke. Kakashi smiled wide and cocked his head to the side.

"So, is there anything anyone didn't understand? How about you Goofy?"

"So basically, every'one has this here thinga bob called chakra n' their bodies?" Goofy said, in a matter of fact way. Kakashi nodded.

"Like Sakura said, it's what helps us perform jutsu. It's an inner energy that you have to learn to train to use in combat. That's what my students will be be teaching you today. I will also be helping a little."

Donald huffed and crossed his legs, "Sounds like a bunch of baloney to me!" His voice quaked in high pitched in irritation. Naruto grinned and leaned against the red bridge.

"I'll get to show you all what I'm made of! I'm the best at the Multiple Clone Jutsu!"

"Hn." Sasuke mumbled. Naruto glared at the dark haired boy and bit his lip.

"You got something to say, Sasuke?!"

"Nothing."

"Argh….Sasuke idiot…" Naruto clinched his first, gritting his teeth. Sora laid his hand on Naruto's shoulder trying to calm him down, "It's ok Naruto! You can work really hard…you'll only be the best when you work hard, right?" Naruto nodded, but a frown still framed his face.

"Well…" Kakashi began. "Now that everyone is set, let's begin basic chakra training. Sasuke you toke Sora to the north corner of the field. Naruto and Sakura, please take Goofy and Donald to the south end of the field." Sakura's face showed disagreement with the arrangements, and her lips formed a pout.

"What about you, Kakashi-sensei?!" She yelled. Kakashi shrugged and grinned, waving her berating off.

"I'll check up on everyone in about two hours or so. Work hard! See ya!" Suddenly, he disappeared through a puff of smoke that caused the students and their new friends to cough and mumbled how troublesome their instructor had become.  
"Does he always do that?" Sora asked, covering his mouth with his sleeve. Naruto grumbled and started walking down the field. "Useless Kaka-senei! How could he just leave me here with two know-nothings?!" Donald's face abruptly flustered red in anger as he whacked Naruto on the head. "Who are you calling a know nothing?!"  
Naruto yelled in pain and spun around the grab the duck by his shirt collar. Sora and the others watched as the blonde haired boy and his white feathered companion rustled in the grass. Sasuke stuffed his hands inside his pockets and began walking away from the noisy group, just as Sakura pounced between the two and ordered them to stop their foolishness. Sakura's green eyes followed him and she smiled shyly.

"Do your best Sasuke-kun and Sora-kun!" Sora grinned and waved back to her, but Sasuke continued walking as if he hadn't heard her words. They walked for several minutes until they reached a heavily wooded area of the field. Sasuke crossed his arms and stared at Sora.

"This isn't going to be easy." Sora smirked, and pumped his fist in the air. Sora wasn't used to easy! He wanted to work hard and do his best.

"I'm used to hard! This won't be the worst I've been though!" Sasuke smirked and shrugged.

"Don't get cocky, " Sasuke said while pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. "You've never been through chakra training..."

* * *

"Hn. Tired all ready?" Sasuke taunted, watching Sora gulp down water from a nearby stream. Sora's spiky brown hair was damp with sweat and had nit bits of dirt and leaves. He wiped the water that was trickling down his chin on his sleeve and turned to Sasuke who held a a strange shaped knife.

"What's that?"

"This is called a kunai. It's basic ninja weapon. Sense you know how to channel your chakra, it's time we started with basic weapons."  
Sora sighed, every breath was trouble for him. He sprawled out on his back in the grass, staring up at the sky. Sasuke had been pushing him extremely hard today...first it was chakra training, then it was channeling and controlling chakra. They had been outside all day long, long after the clashes and yelling of the other groups had finished.

_This is a lot harder than I thought...I never knew...there was such a thing inside of me. Chakra...I wonder what Kairi and Riku would think about it? Maybe someday...I can teach them...what I've learned._

"You're weak." Sasuke said, blandly. "You'll never be a good shinobi if you get tired so quickly."

"What's a shinobi?"

"A ninja. A special ninja that works for different countries...what planet did you come from?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head. He reached inside his pocket and tossed a pouch to Sora.

"What's this?"

"Basic shinobi weapons. You need to get to know them." Sasuke sat beside Sora and pulled out his own weapons. He placed them neatly on a cloth, side by side. Sora watched intently as he handled the different weapons with a light curiosity. Some of these he had seen Yuffie with...and others he wasn't so familiar with.

"That's a ninja star!" Sora yelled excited that he recognized one. Sasuke mumbled, yet nodded his head.

"It's called a shuriken. It's usually kept in a side pouch like this one," Sasuke pointed to his leg, where a long rectangular pouch was.

"These are senbon and kunai." Sasuke stood, and reached into his book bag. Sora watched curiously as Sasuke pulled out what appeared to be a can of spray paint. He walked several yards to a tree and shook the can.

"You already have combat experience...I'll give you that. But it's not going to be enough in this world." He sprayed a large circle on the tree and then in the middle a small x. Sasuke smirked and walked towards Sora. The dark haired boy threw the kunai behind him, and Sora marveled as it hit the x dead center.

"H-how'd you do that?! That's amazing!"

"Practice."

"Well no duh..." Sora mumbled as he gathered several kunai together. He started at the target...Sasuke's had hit dead center...without even looking behind him! Sora could feel negative feelings rising in his heart, but he quickly pushed them away. Now was not the time to be feeling jealous! If he could grow stronger...he could protect his friends. Sora thought about all the many things he had learned in his journeys...all of them someway, somehow had helped him when he was in a tight spot. This was something new...something that could make him stronger against the Heartless.

_Not only the Heartless though...__also...against..._

"Just throw it." Sasuke said, interrupting Sora's thoughts. Sora pushed his thinking behind him and focused on the x on the tree...he breathed deeply.

_I can do this! If If I can fight the Heartless, surely I can throw a knife at a target!_

Sora glanced at Sasuke, his eyes begging for guidance. Sasuke shrugged, twirling a kunai around his finger.

"Just throw it and we'll start from there." Sora nodded and with all his might threw the kunai towards the tree. The metal knife cut through the air quickly, with a _ting _it buried itself in the tree bark.

"I almost got it!" Sora yelled, excitedly.

"How's that, Sasuke?! Yea!"

"Hn. Ok." Sora let out a breath he had been holding in. The kunai was only off by a couple of inches.

_It's a lot harder than using my Keyblade..._

"Try again. Throw it out with your wrist, don't use your arms so much. They'll lock up if you push them out too far."

"Ok." Sasuke threw Sora the kunai he had been twirling. Sora caught it, almost dropping it, but finally managed to get a good grip on the handle.

_This one is for you, Kairi!_

Sora threw the kunai again, this time focusing more on his wrist than using his arm. The kunai spliced through the air, and with a sharp_ shing_ it stuck in the tree, hitting the red x dead on.

"Yea! Alright!" Sora yelled, pumping his fist. He got right in the center! He felt so cool! Sora turned to Sasuke, his expression fulling expecting praises. Sasuke only shrugged and motioned for Sora to retrieve the kunai. Sora ran to the tree, his attitude becoming more positive.

"Do I get a prize or something?!" Sora yelled. Sasuke shrugged and started walking away. Sora frowned and rushed to gather his things as Sasuke's form was waning in the distance through the think trees. Boy that guy moved fast!

"Hold on!" This guy...was really no fun.

_Why is Sasuke always so uptight? What's happened to make him so...unhappy? Sakura said something bad happened when he was little...What so horrible to not make him smile anymore?_

Sora stood among the trees, his thoughts suddenly going to a man...with long white hair and sea green eyes...

_Sephiroth..._

Sora recalled painful memories of the silver haired swordsman. Sephiroth...a promising product of Shinra Corp. who was the hero of the world...until...

_Sephiroth_ _gave into the darkness...never to come back again. When Cloud told me about Sephiroth how far he fell...I-I couldn't believe it. Not someone like Sephiroth...not someone like him..._

Surely...Sasuke wouldn't turn out like Sephiroth... Sora knew deep down somewhere in that locked heart of Sasuke's there was a small ray of light yet to be given a chance to seep through. Sora felt it, when he spoke with Sasuke or or was near him...he could feel the darkness around his heart. But there was still that light gleam of light...as long as there was that light...Sora knew Sasuke could be saved.

"Hey! Hurry up we have a mission briefing!" Sora let go of his troubling thoughts and smiled. He ran to catch up with Sasuke. Together they walked towards the village.

* * *

"Oh! Oh!" Tora-chan I've looked everywhere for you! my baby!" The black feline screeched as it's heavy female owner swept it up and squeezed it in her large arms. Team 7 and their three new friends stood in the Hokage's office, watching the one-sided happy reunion. Naruto leaned next to Sora, cupping his hand around Sora's ear. "No wonder the cat left...she's not a lady! She's a fat cow..."

"Pfffft!" Sora quickly covered his mouth but it was to late, as the chuckle slipped out and a man with a scar stared at him helplessly. He shook his head and then glared unimpressed at Naruto. Donald cringed at the sight.

"Thank you so much! I don't know what I would have done without my Tora-chan!" Sakura couldn't look any longer and buried her face in Sora's shoulder.

"That poor cat..." Sakura moaned. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Ha! So what?! Serves it right for giving me such a hard time! Stupid cat! Hahaha!" Naruto yelled boisterously. The woman snorted at Naruto and left a envelope on the desk. A guard motioned for her to follow him out. Sora watched her leave and then turned his attention to the several men sitting behind the large crescent shaped desk. An elderly man, with red and white robes sat in the middle. His long white beard dangled down to the table and his eyes were sharp. His beard reminded Sora about upside down vanilla ice cream that he and his friends used to eat on Destiny Islands...Sora smiled at the thought. Sakura whispered to him, "That man is the Hokage. His is the Third village leader and the strongest shinobi in our village!" Sora bit his lip...something about standing before the most powerful person in the city in a world he is completely oblivious of didn't sound too inviting.

"I understand your name is Sora, and these are your friends Donald and Goofy. Interesting name, Goofy I mean." The Hokage leaned back in his chair and stroked his long beard. Sora and his friends nodded.

"I'm-We're from Destiny Islands...sir..."

"Hm, Kakashi told me everything, even about your interesting ship." Sora glanced at Donald and Goofy. Goofy shrugged and Donald frowned. It was clear the duck was becoming impatient. Another man sat next to the Hokage, his hair was brown and pulled up in a spiky pony tail. He had a scar across his face, but Sora sensed he was a pleasant man. He smiled at them and spoke.

"My name is Iruka-sensei. I am pleased to meet you and your friends. Sora-kun for the past month mysterious sightings of these so called Heartless have attacked many people. Our intelligence reports that they believe a woman is controlling them-"

"Maleficent!" The outer world trio said in loud unison. Sora turned to Donald and Goofy, who both wore concerned expressions. Kakashi raised his brow.

"If Mal'Ficent is in this world that spells t-t-rouble!" Goofy warned.

"She's the worst of the worst!" Donald exclaimed. Sora wrung his hands together in frustration.

"Maleficent is a powerful witch. She's always trying to take over new worlds! She controls the Heartless...but she's not the worst of them."

"She doesn't sound very pleasant." Sora shook his head...

"She's not." The room was silent for a moment, seemingly extremely tense as the weight of the situation sunk in.

"Bwaaa! I bet she's not so tough! She sounds like an old granny! Haha! Ahaha!" Sora smacked his forehead as Naruto's prideful speech echoed through the room. Iruka shook his head, and pulled out a paper from the desk.

"Naruto! Don't be so disrespectful in front of the Hokage!" Sakura sneered. Iruka frowned but continued to look at the paper.

"Anyway, the reason you were called here is about your mission. It is so escort a a bridge builder to the Land of Waves. You have been complaining about getting a higher ranked mission, so here it is. Your first C-ranked mission. Honestly, you shouldn't run into any trouble, but Sora-kun is coming along in case Heartless show up." Sora, Donald and Goofy looked longingly at each other.

"What about Donald and Goofy? I just can't leave them!" Iruka held up his hand, motioning for Sora to calm down. Goofy smiled and smacked Sora gently on his back.

"Donald and I are gonna' to stay here! We're gonna help with the village and work on the gummy ship! Don't be such a worry wart Sora!" Donald nodded.

"If the Heartless attack Konoha we'll be ready for them!" Donald excitedly explained. He waved his wand around muttering fighting words and tell everyone how ready he was. The Hokage smiled and looked at the door.

"You can come in now, Tazuna!" Sora eagerly gazed at the door as the wood slid back. He wondered who their client was...was he a royal? Someone from a kingdom?! Perhaps...it was a prince-"An old man?!" Naruto shouted. Sure enough, an elderly man leaned against the opened door, his tanned straw hat tipped ever so slightly over his face. He was sluggish, and holding a bottle in his hand and a long piece of grass hanging lazily from his chapped lips. Sora's hands flew to his mouth, trying to contain the cackles that tried desperately to escape from his lips. Naruto nudged him, mimicking the old man.

"Tazuna, these will be your guards back to the Land of Waves." The Hokage said, flatly. Tazuna regarded them for several moments, before laughing.

"Wha?! Their just kids!"

"Hey! Naruto shouted, pointing his finger at Tazuna accusingly. "I'm not just a kid! I'm the next Hokage! I'll be protecting you so you better respect me old man!" Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance. Sakura grinned thinly and clinched her fist tighter. Those green eyes Sora thought were so pretty suddenly became very scary, so much that Sora stepped behind Kakashi.

"Does Sakura always have such a bad temper?" Kakashi shrugged and grinned.

"When it comes to Naruto." The Third cleared his throat, trying to get back to the mission briefing.

"Tazuna is the bridge builder for the Land of Waves. Your mission is to escort him home safely. I understand there will be no trouble?" Kakashi nodded and grabbed Naruto by his collar. The blonde boy yelled in protest and swung his fist at Kakashi. The silver haired man smiled gaily.

"Nope. No problem at all!"

* * *

"You need your weapons pouch. I'll take care of the provisions. Money isn't a problem. We leave tonight." Sasuke assured Sora. Sora ran up to his room and grabbed the pouch while Sasuke waited in the kitchen. Shifting around his room, he stared at the object on the night stand...Smiling he grabbed it and placed it gently in his travel bag that Iruka-sensei had given him. Sora rushed to gather the rest of his things and hurried down the stairs to Sasuke who stood at the back door, ready to go.

"This is my first mission like this..." Sasuke shrugged but smirked.

"Watch me and you'll be fine." Sora grinned. Sasuke opened the door, allowing Sora out first. Sasuke lingered on the doorstep for awhile...and then locked the door.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for not updating for like two months. I honestly don't have any excuses other than married life is more busy than I anticipated! Things have been going great and I recently started stitching and crocheting on a regular basis. It's a ton of fun, but really hard. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope to update soon! Like...next month lol. Please don't forget to review and tell me what you think! So sorry for such late updating!**

**Painterofemotions**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Ambushed! The Truth Tazuna is Hiding!**

The moonlight dimly lighted the inside of the hut that sat near the misty dock. The only sound was that of the night insects and obnoxious grasshoppers that twang in unison like a shamisen. Suddenly, a dark mist appeared outside the hut and proceed inside as quickly as it appeared. Inside the hut, the dark apparition twisted and turned, as if molding a form out of darkness.

"Ah...that's better..." The black mist said, in a most strange, yet melancholic voice. It appeared to glide over the floor to a chair in the side of the room and sit.

"How do I know I can trust you? After all your reputation precedes you." It uttered to the man on the couch. He leaned against it lazily, a large sword sat across his lap. His eyes sharpened at the jest, clearly not amused.

"Who do you think I am? Of course I can get rid of that brat for you. I could squash them all if I wanted to...the real question is...why can't you take care of them yourself if you're so high and powerful?" The ghostly form appeared to snicker.

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll take care of the old man for you, if you take care of the meddling boy. Make sure the boy who wields the key is killed! And remember, Zabuza do not harm the Uchiha boy! He could prove quite useful for me."

* * *

Sora casually walked beside Sakura, her gay chattering never failed to entertain him and make him smile. Sakura was so bubbly and energetic...she reminded him of Kairi minus her temper though. He smiled as he counted many times on Destiny Island when Kairi would talk all day long, much to Riku's annoyance.

_Boy do I miss Kairi...I wish I could see her now!_

"Ne, Sora-kun?" A soft female voice began. Sora shook his head, clearing out his thoughts. He had become so engrossed in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard Sakura talking about hers! Sora sheepishly scratched his head, eagerly searching through his mind to recall just what he and Sakura had been conversing about.

"I'm sorry Sakura. I didn't hear you. What were we talking about?" He grinned. Naruto huffed and crossed his arms, his orange jumpsuit as bright as the sun.

"Who'd want to hear her?" He mumbled. Kakashi muffled a laugh and Tazuna shook his head. Sasuke continued walking, not breaking any type of expression. Sora laughed nonchalantly and Naruto smirked. Sakura merely commented on how rude her companion was and threatened to break his spine. After her tirade, she turned her affections back to Sora.

"Sora-kun, can you tell us more about Maleficent? What exactly is she?" Sora's smile turned in a slight scowl at the mention of the witch.

"She's a witch. She uses the Heartless to steal people's hearts and control them too! She's the one who-,"

"Well, how does she steal hearts? Does she kill people?! Does she rip out their innards and then eat their hearts?!" Sakura yelled. She gripped her chest in fear. Sora laughed. "No. You see everyone has darkness in their hearts…even you and me." Naruto frowned, obviously curious yet confused.

"Everyone? Even Iruka-sensei and Kaka- well…of course he does. But even Old Man Third?!"

"Naruto! It's the Third! Stop being so disrespectful! Ugh, I can't believe I was put on the same team as an idiot, limp brain like you!" Sakura shrieked. Naruto cowered behind Tazuna, sticking his tongue out at the pink haired girl. Sora laughed as the two continued bickering.

_I should talk to Sasuke...maybe he can get in on the fun too. He should try to make friends! He can't let himself be alone all his_ life...

Sora walked quicker to catch up with Sasuke and Kakashi, until his foot took a _splash_ into a sudden rain puddle. Sora bemoaned his bad luck, as his foot was completely soaked with muddy water.

"What's the matter Sora-kun?" Sakura called.

"I stepped in a puddle, and now my shoe is soaking wet...haha...my bad luck I guess." Kakashi and Sasuke stopped ahead of them.

"Sora-kun..." Kakashi began slowly, as if he were unsure of something. "Sora-kun, did you see any other puddles on the way here?" Sora shook his head...and now that he thought about it, it did seem unusual.

_It hasn't rained since I've been here...why is there a rain puddle in the middle of the road? Everything else around here is dry! Something's not right!_

Before Sora could voice his thoughts Sasuke threw himself on the shocked boy, violently knocking him to the ground. Sakura screamed as shuriken _zooshed_ past her, just missing her head. Everything seemed to turn to into chaos at that moment. In horror, Sora watched as several struck Kakashi in his chest. But in moments a log appeared in his place. Kakashi had used the clone jutsu! Sora could hear the _zing_ of the weapons flying over head as Sasuke laid on top of him. The dark haired boy stared at Sora.

"It's an ambush...you see where they are?" Sasuke asked, quickly. Sora nodded, his eyes already noting several locations where the weapons had been thrown from. "Let's do this!" Sasuke flipped off Sora and threw several shuriken into the woods. Beyond the trees a man shouted in pain and cursed them. Sora pulled out his Keyblade, quickly shielding his back as a strong force came at him from behind. He flipped back to dodge a swipe at him and landed in the shrubbery. Frantically looking around, he couldn't find the ninja! Ah, there, above him! Sora rolled from the tree trunk in time as the ninja landed, his claws digging deep into the ground. Sora gasped as he saw purple liquid dripping from the large weapon.

"Poison!" The Keyblade wielder shouted. The ninja smirked. He was dressed in strange attire, a large raged cape and a strange looking mask over his face. His eyes were so wild that Sora believed the man was really insane. "That's right kid! I'll admit you were fast enough to block my claw...but this time you won't be so lucky! Argh!" The ninja yelled and swiped at Sora's face who ducked and rolled to the side. The large metal claw crashed into the side of the tree where Sora had been. Sora's eyes widened as he realized...that could have been the end of him! _'I've got to stay on my toes! One wrong move and I could really be killed. I better take the high ground!' _Sora began running up a tree and swung on top of the high branch. The ninja followed him and the dodged and clashed against each others metal causing red and yellow sparks to fly. "Blizzard!" Sora blasted a ice spell at the cloaked assailant that sent him reeling to the ground. Sora, believing that he had stopped him jumped from the tree and landed beside the fallen ninja. He leaned down and placed two fingers against his throat...sure enough..._'He's barely breathing...I won't kill him...I can't bring myself to do it...'_

Sora turned away from him and searched around the forest. He could hear the clashes of metal behind him and some shouts. He ran towards the road, where the ambush had begun and saw a terrified Sakura standing in front of a shocked Tazuna. She was scared to death, Sora could tell that much. "Sakura! Sakura I'm over here!" Sora yelled waving at her. She looked around and caught his eye. Her face showed relief and her body relaxed. "Sora-kun! Sora-kun are you alright?" Sora yelled back that he was. But then...there! Behind her he saw a form begin to move! Sora ran as fast as his legs could take him. He yelled at her to get out of the way. A blue flash came in front of her, it was Sasuke! The ninja behind the bushes jumped out, his large metal claw ready to tear the girl the shreds. Sasuke blocked the force of the attack and turned to Sakura. Sora rushed towards them and twirled his Keyblade.

"Blizzard!" He shouted, aiming the spell at the ninja. A blast of cold ice came forth and froze the ninja in his place. Sasuke's brow rose as he watched the ice slowly cover the man despite his pleas until it completely sheathed him. "Was that...ninjutsu?" Sora shook his head.

"It was-watch out!" Sora drove Tazuna to the ground as Sasuke pushed Sakura into the dirt. Sasuke spun around and caught the kunai between his fingers and threw them back at the ninja. Sora helped Sakura stand and ushered Tazuna to start moving. Sora blocked a shuriken with the KeyBlade and turned to see Naruto several feet down the road. His blue eyes were wide in fear and his mouth was agape.

"Get moving!" Sora yelled. Didn't he know they were ambushed? Why was he just standing there?! Two ninja jumped down from trees and headed for the shocked boy. Sora pulled the chain from his Keyblade and ran towards Naruto. Sasuke ran beside him. "Let's get rid of these guys once and for all!" Sasuke yelled as he skidded across the dirt road. Sora twirled the chain and threw it in the air. Sasuke jumped up and grabbed it, bringing it down on the two ninjas. The yelled in shock as the chain tightened around them. Sora pulled it tighter, giving the ninja's a glare. Sasuke made sure they wouldn't get away and stood by them.

"What were you thinking?" Sora yelled at Naruto. Sora grabbed Naruto's collar. "Why didn't you move, Naruto?!" Naruto cringed and bit his lip. Sora released him. He saw that Sakura was in danger and didn't move a muscle! Sora tried to calm down, but he was so upset!

"Naruto! What's that?" Sakura pointed to the blonde boy. Naruto's fists were clinched tightly, blood and purple liquid dripped from them. The group gasped in shock. "Naruto you're poisoned!" Sakura stepped towards him.

"No! Get back!" He yelled, pulling out a kunai. Naruto stared at Sasuke and then at Sora. Sora held up his hands, trying to calm Naruto down.

"Naruto...just calm down, ok?"

"Stop it Naruto! We're almost to the village! Stop it!" Sakura cried. Naruto shook his head and gripped the kunai tighter.

"No! You don't understand! None of you understand! How could I have just stood there?" Naruto held his hand up, and with one jab he plunged the kunai deep into his palm. Sakura screamed for him to stop, while Sasuke just stood and stared unbelievably.

"I-I can bleed the poison out! I promise with this blood to never stand by again! I promise-,"

"Naruto," Kakashi walked out from the trees and stared at his pupil in a amused way. He cocked his head to the side. "Naruto, that's fine and all, but if you keep bleeding like that you'll die."

* * *

The quite humming of insects in the forest calmed Sora's nerves and made him think of home. A full moon lit the campsite in pretty pearl light, casting shadows off the tens and their inhabitants. After setting up camp a while ago they ate dinner and and voted on what would be the best think to do about Tazuna. Sakura tried to convince the team that they should leave him. He had put them all in danger by not telling the truth. The truth, was that Tazuna was being watched by a criminal lord who didn't want him to build the bridge that would connect the Land of Waves to the mainland. The old man explained everything to them over dinner. Sora didn't know what to think, but he did know they couldn't just leave Tazuna to fend for himself.

He turned over in his sleeping bag, finding the ground extremely uncomfortable. Finally, he just had to get up. He slid out of his sleeping bag and stepped outside the tent. _'I think I'll go to the stream...wash up or something.' _Sora looked around camp, it seemed that everyone was still sleep. He took a small cup from near the fire and walked down to the stream. A large boulder sat on the side, so he climbed upon it and plopped down. Sora allowed his thoughts to run wild for a moment. Ruki, Kairi, his parents and friends dripped into his thoughts like small rain drops._ 'Riku...why did you betray me? What about Kairi? I thought...we were all going home together! We were all supposed to watch the sunset and play with our raft and race in the sand! Riku!'_

"Why would you betray me, Riku?" Sora asked, darkly.

"You're not the only one who's been betrayed." Sora turned to Sasuke several feet away, leaning against a tree. His eyes held anger and spite. "There's no use crying about it."

"I wasn't crying! I was just wishing-"

"We all wish for something, yet for some reason even our most honorable wishes don't come true." Sora looked at the ground. Sasuke was right...wishing wouldn't help anyone. However, Sora also knew that he would keep on wishing and hoping and searching.

"I'll find Riku someday. But I'm afraid when I do, he won't be the Riku I know anymore." Sasuke shrugged and twirled a shuriken around his finger.

"I thought I knew someone too but in the end he took everything I loved away from me." Sasuke threw the shuriken at a tree and hissed in anger. "He took everyone away; my mother, father, and friends. I've sworn that I'll kill him. I hate him. I'll get my revenge." Sora shuddered at Sasuke's words. He sounded...just like Sephiroth. Sora shook his head.

"Hate breeds hate Sasuke. It'll eat you up and then make you do terrible things." Sora said, thinking back to Sephiroth.

"Hate is what gives _me_ strength. It's all I have." Sora threw a small pebble into the stream."Well I guess that makes us a bunch of miserable guys." Sasuke smirked and tossed a kunai at Sora.

"Don't put me in the same category as you." Sora caught it and threw it back. "But you gotta admit, I was pretty good out there with my Keyblade!" Sasuke shook his head. "How do you manage to use that over sized thing?" Sora smiled and stretched his arms wide. "You think my Keyblade is big? There's a guy who has a sword that over six feet long!" Sasuke's eyes widened in curiosity.

"You're lying."

"Nope. His name is Sephiroth. He's really strong and has long white hair. He's scary." Sora shuddered as he remembered his first encounter with the crazed soldier. He had such a evil aura.

"I bet I could beat him." Sora laughed.

"Ha! If Cloud could barely beat him, what makes you think you could?"

"Who's Cloud?" Sora smiled.

"It's a long story, but if you teach me how to use one of those big shurikens I'll tell you!" Sasuke grinned.

"Deal."

* * *

**Happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful time! Well this is the fourth chapter! Sorry it's taken me about a month to update. Since I am working on several other stories, and editing for a friend my time is limited. I hope you all liked this chapter! Please continue to review! The next few chapters are going to be full of action and Heartless. Sasuke and Sora seem to be getting along just fine though...until later on... hahahaha! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Lollygagging in Town **

The trek through the woods had been a silent one as the party weaved through the thickets and trees. "We should stay off the main road," Kakashi had said, "They know we're coming, it'll be safer going through the forest." They had been warned to stay off the main roads. Now that they knew Tazuna was being targeted they had to be on their guard all the time.

The bridge builder walked between Sasuke and Sora, his face overcome with shame and frustration. Sora's throat constricted as he tried to think of something comforting to say to the older man, but no words came. Sora thought back to the team's conversation earlier that morning. _'This has turned into a B-ranked mission. I'm sure you had your reasons for lying, but you've put my students at risk.' _Kakashi had said. _'We're operating outside of our duties.'_

Usually on bright, sunny days Sora would be a light-hearted mood. Today was different, because with every step he took, his foot felt as if weights were attached to them. They group stopped at a nearby village to stock up on supplies and medical things. They walked around for a bit, enjoying the small time they had to relax. They walked past a bookstore, with books lining the outside walls on shelves.

Kakashi's eyes lingered on the books. "I've got something to take care of. I'm sure you all can manage?" And with that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sora coughed, waving his hand in the air to dispel the smoke.

The bridge builder glanced around, his eyes wandering to a bar across the street. "I'll see you kids in a little bit. We'll meet back here later!" The students watched Tazuna walked off, toward the bar.

"I can't believe Kakashi-sensei would ditch us like that!" Sakura exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. "He's the worst sensei ever!"

"Come on, Sakura-chan. Kakashi-sensei has always been like this," Naruto said, grinning.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know that idiot. But he's an adult!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, walking away. The others followed him.

Sakura walked beside Sasuke, a big smile on her face. "Sasuke-kun, why don't we go out to eat? There's a store that we can visit. We can focus on team bonding."

Sasuke shrugged her off him, his dark eyes glaring at her. "No. Go there yourself."

The smile disappeared from Sakura's face, as she walked more slowly. Her pink hair fell into her face as she stared at the ground. Sora's chest tightened as he watched her. _'Man, Sasuke can be a bit of jerk. How could he say that to Skaura?' _ Seeing Sakura's down cast expression reminded Sora of Kairi's face in his dream. Her eyes had watered as the dark canvas separated them and cast him into darkness. Sora shook his head, trying to get rid of the troublesome thoughts. _'I should say something...but I don't know what.' _Sora glanced at Sasuke, noting that the boy had glanced at Sakura, his gaze softening. _'What was that? That look? Just now he looked upset.' _Sora thought. The moment Sora noticed it, it disappeared and Sasuke's cold exterior came back.

"Ne, Sora-kun, tell us about your friends!" Sakura said, hanging on his arm. Naruto frowned, staring Sora.

Sora gulped, noticing Naruto's gaze. He slipped his arm out of Sakura's grasp, trying to smile. "What do you want to know?"

"Are they strong?" Naruto asked, puffing his chest out.

Sora grinned, fond memories of his friends coming to his mind. "Riku is my best friend. He's taller than me and he's older. He always said he was better at sports than me," Sora said, scratching the back of his head. "I really look up to him. He's like a big brother."

"What happened to them?" Sakura asked, her eyes growing wide.

Sora shrugged. "We were separated on Destiny Island. That's where we lived. But now, our world's been overrun with the Heartless."

"You mean those shadow things? Where do they come from? What are they? How did they get in our world?" Naruto asked, his brows slanted in thought.

Sora laughed. "It's a long story."

* * *

Sora sat on the rooftop, gazing at the stars that speckled the night sky. He smiled, thinking of the past times when he and Riku would star gaze on the beach house roof in Destiny Island. _'We would try to count stars and always forgot how many we had counted. Kairi would come with us too, sometimes.' _Sora turned to his companion who joined him on the inn rooftop. "My mom had brown hair like me. She's pretty and my dad is really tall. Sometimes, searching for Kairi and Riku makes me forget about them. I don't want to forget about them." Sora frowned, fiddling with the tassel on his shirt. "What about you, Naruto? What do your parents look like?"

Naruto huffed and turned away, his angry gaze burning holes into the sky. "I don't know. I never knew my parents. They left me."

"I'm sorry," Sora said, his heart pained at Naruto's words.

Naruto bit his lip, punching the the straw on the roof. "Didn't they want me? No one cares about me. Everyone in the village...thinks I'm a monster." Sora scooted closer to Naruto, placing a hand on his back.

"I don't think you're a monster, Naruto. There's a light inside of everyone, just like there's darkness inside of everyone. Naruto, I see a lot of light in you." Sora smiled, his gaze turning to the stars. "I know only one person who had a light in their heart like you...her name was Aerith."

Naruto stared at Sora, his eyes losing their anger. "Who's she?"

Sora smiled. "She's the light."

* * *

The forest was silent, save for the bugs singing, basking in the moon light. A soft breeze danced through the woods, causing the cloaked figure before the ninja's to grab hold of their hood, keeping it close to their face. The figure stood next to Maleficent, who stared with disdain at the ninja's who bowed before her. Her lips twisted into a snarl, as she stuck her staff into the ground.

"I thought that the Demon Brother's were capable of taking out children, it seems you are fit for nothing more than mediocre tasks," she hissed.

"Oh, now, Maleficent, do ya' have to be so cruel? You know I could have had that brat under lock and key!" Pete said, cowering near her.

The witch turned to him, grimacing. "And as per usual you fail me, Pete. It appears I need more muscle."

"Eh now…you don't have to sink that low! I'll get the kid! Um…which one was it again?" The large cat asked, scratching his ears.

"The Uchiha boy! The boy with the black hair! Get rid of Keyblade wielder and all others who get in your way. Or I'll have to get rid of you."

"Yes, ma'am!" Pete saluted her, backing away into the forest. Maleficent watched him leave, then turned around at the sound of breaking twigs. Maleficent smiled faintly as the person approached. "It's about time."

"You!" the person yelled. The man stepped from behind the trees, his black suit dusty. His grey hair stood on end. "How was it that my ninja's were defeated?"

Maleficent yawned, summoning a black chair for her to sit on. "I told you to wait until Zabuza encountered them, did I not?"

The man clenched his fists, shaking with anger.

Maleficent smirked, waving her staff. "That's what I thought. Zabuza—" Maleficent motioned behind her. The cloaked figure emerged from the darkness, their eyes glowing red. A large sword hung over his shoulders, clinking as he stepped forward.

"Do not fail me, Devil of the Hidden Mist. You must bring me the Uchiha boy."

* * *

**Merry Christmas! Because many of you wanted me to update early, I decided I would oblige! I'm sorry this chapter was not longer, but I hope that it satisfies your wishes! I would like to give shout outs for all who have reviewed and followed so far!**

**Fadedlies, The Keeper of Worlds, OOplimpOO,**** Batthan, fictionisthebest754, DestinysSky, TexasBean, Guest, tellmemore, Girl of Darkness10, and 'hello'! I'm so glad you all are still reading this story! Merry Christmas!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Team 7 Fights the Heartless!  
**

Sora sat between Naruto and Sakura as the fish baked over the fire. He breathed in deep, enjoying the smell that lingered in the air. He frowned as his stomach growled, blushing as Sakura giggled.

"We'll eat soon Sora-kun," Sakura said, smiling. "The fish is almost done." She poked the trout with a stick.

"I'm starving! We didn't even eat breakfast." Naruto said, tossing a stone across the grass. Kakashi sighed, staring at the blonde boy from the tent. Sora's gaze wavered from the fire to Naruto's bandaged hand. Kakashi said that most of the poison had come out and that Naruto would be fine. Sora thought back to the fight on the road. _'The people that are after Tazuna are strong. We have to be careful not to get hurt. But I'm glad Naruto's ok.' _

"We should reach the river by tomorrow morning. From there we'll take a boat across and reach the Wave Country," Kakashi said. "Tazuna will then begin working on the bridge."

The young ninja's nodded.

Kakashi stood, wiping the grass off his pants. "Well, we better eat and get to bed. Tomorrow we start out early."

Sakura lifted the fish off the spit and Sora got the plates from the travel bag. He handed one to Naruto and Tazuna and Kakashi. _'Someone is missing.' _Sora looked around the camp, realizing that Sasuke had been missing.

"Where's Sasuke?" Sora asked.

Sakura frowned as she glanced around. "Yeah, where is Sasuke-kun?"

"Who cares? Idiot Sasuke can just blow off for all I care," Naruto said, growling. Sora made eye contact, shaking his head at him, discouraging further mean words. Naruto frowned, crossing his hands over his chest.

"You two don't get along very well," Tazuna said, stroking his beard. He pushed his glasses up and glanced at Naruto. "How can you work as a team if you don't work together?"

"I don't need that Sasuke! He's stuck up and thinks about no one but himself. He thinks he's so great…" Naruto's rant trailed off into a whisper. He stood, his fists clenched in anger. "I'm leaving. Don't bother looking for me."

"Naruto! We need to stay together," Sora said. "Remember what happened before? It's safer if we—"

"Says you!" Naruto shouted.

Sora watched him stomp away from the camp. The young boy frowned as he thought about Naruto. _'Why is he angry all the time? Why don't he and Sasuke get along?' _Sora made to go after him, until Sakura tugged on his sleeve.

"Naruto is always like that. He's an idiot, really," Sakura looked at the ground, "He's just jealous because Sasuke is cooler than he is."

Sora grimaced, listening to Sakura's cruel words. She was Naruto's teammate! She shouldn't be talking about Naruto like that. Sora shook his head, pushing her hand off his shoulder. "Maybe Naruto needs a friend, instead of teammates who are mean to him."

Sakura's eyes watered as she let Sora go. If only Naruto hadn't made her angry, she wouldn't have said those things. She turned to the fire, throwing in a stick. "Stupid boys. Stupid boys!"

* * *

Sora walked through the woods, searching for Naruto. The sun had begun to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and yellow. The shadows of the trees grew in front of Sora as he made his way through the thickets. His thoughts went to another time, when he was looking for different person.

* * *

"Riku! Riku I give up," Sora said, panting. He doubled over, leaning on his knees as he looked up and down the beach. The white sand whirled around his ankles as a breeze drifted across the shore. His eyes darted to the wooden deck the stuck out into the sea. Someone sat on the edge, dangling their legs over the water.

Sora smiled. _'So that's where he's been.' _He shuffled across the sand as quietly as he could, and tiptoed as he walked onto the wooden deck.

"I know you're there."

"Rats," Sora exclaimed, sitting beside his friend.

Riku smirked, running his hand through his silver hair. "You suck at sneaking."

"Don't remind me," Sora said, punching his arm.

Riku nodded out at the vast ocean. The water basked in the sun's waning light; creating colorful rays that made the water look like a rainbow. "Someday, we'll see what's beyond this island. There's gotta be more out there."

"Maybe," Sora said.

"I know there is," Riku said, his gaze narrowing. "There's something out there Sora. I don't know what, but it's calling me. I want to find it."

* * *

_'Where could he be?' _Sora thought as he darted through the woods. The sun had set a while ago, and the forest had become dark. He could barely see beyond the trees that stood several yards in front of him. Sora stopped running, hearing a voice off to the side. He stood behind a tree, walking closer. _'Is that crying?'_

Sora weaved through the trees, going closer to the sound until he reached a meadow. Someone sat in the middle of it, their crying echoing through the night. _'They might need help.' _Sora came behind them, without drawing attention to himself. "Are you okay? Are you lost?"

"No-no I'm not okay…"

Sora gasped, recognizing the voice. _'Kairi?' _His hand shook as he reached out to the person. "Kairi? Is it you?"

Metal flashed in the dim moonlight and Sora ducked just in time to avoid the swing of the sword. He skidded across the meadow, as flower petals blew through the air, clouding his vision.

"Who are you?" Sora yelled. "Why are you pretending to be Kairi?"

The black cloaked figure drew back, the hood hiding their face. "My name is Adonis. I've come to retrieve you and another. Come with me and you will not be harmed."

"Ha! Like I'll do that!" Sora held out his Keyblade, his hands tightening around the handle. "Why do you have Kairi's voice? Tell me!"

Adonis waved his hand, creating a dark opening in the air.

"Don't leave! Tell me! Why are you here?"

"To get you, of course. I already told you," Adonis said. He began walking toward Sora, his hand outstretched.

"Blizzard!" The ice dagger shot for Adonis. He stepped to the side, avoiding the spell. Sora twisted, blasting a fire ball towards him. Adonis dodged, throwing knives at Sora. Sora blocked them with the Keyblade.

"Sora-kun!"

"Idiot Sora!"

Sora turned to see his Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi running toward him. His team came around him, their eyes watching Adonis. Sakura stood in front of him, holding a kunai. Naruto laid his hand on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't go wandering off," Kakashi said, stepping beside him. Sasuke nodded, holding several shuriken in his fingers.

"You made us worry, you idiot!" Naruto shouted. "Step aside and let me handle this loser."

Sakura and Sasuke rolled their eyes. Sora felt warmth grow in his chest as his friends surrounded him. He looked at each of their faces; he could see the determination in their eyes.

"I'm sorry about what I said before, Sora-kun," Sakura said, staring at him.

Sora nodded. "It's ok." He motioned toward Adonis. "We've got someone to take care of!" Sora twirled the Keyblade, bringing it in front of him.

Adonis looked at the group, his gaze narrowing as he held up his hand. "So you want to fight then? It is a fight you shall have." At his words, shadows sprang from the ground towards the group. As a Heartless jumped for Sakura, Sora jumped in front of her, cutting through the shadow with his Keyblade.

"Be careful Sakura! They get stronger off the darkness from your heart!" Sora said, hacking down another Heartless. Sakura nodded.

Sasuke ran for Adonis, throwing several shuriken. He jumped in the air, bringing his foot down to hit him, Adonis, block by raising his hand, as Sasuke's foot hit his wrist. Sasuke jumped back, his hands making seals.

Sora blasted ice towards Adonis, who rolled to the side, evading it. Soon as he came out of the roll, fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth in a short stream covering him in flames. Adonis blocked the fire, holding his hands in front of him.

"What is this guy?" Sasuke mumbled as he pulled out a scroll. Biting his thumb, he wiped the blood across the scroll and in a puff of smoke a huge windmill shuriken appeared. It whirled towards Adonis, who jumped over it.

Sasuke smirked, he held up his hands. The windmill shuriken around heading straight for Adonis. He flipped backward, avoid the weapon. _'This guy is fast,' _Sasuke thought.

Several Heartless emerged from the ground, heading towards Kakashi. The silver haired shinobi flipped back, throwing kunai.

"There's too many of them!" Sakura cried, backing towards a tree. "Let go! Sasuke-kun, help me!"

Sora turned to see Sakura sinking into a pool of darkness, the Heartless holding on to her hands. _'If she gets pulled through she'll be stuck in the dark realm!' _

Sasuke darted past Sora, tossing wire on the tree branch above her, swinging from the wire; he grabbed Sakura by her hand, pulling her out of the specter. She screamed as they swung around the branch, finally landing on top.

Sora grinned, giving Sasuke a thumb up. "Nice one Sasuke!"

"Sora-kun behind you!" Sakura yelled, pointing behind him. Sora didn't have time to block the claw of the Heartless that headed for his chest. He threw up his hands, closing his eyes. Sora winced, waiting for the pain to come. _'What happened? I thought for sure that I was going to be hit.' _Sora opened his eyes to see Naruto standing in front of him, holding a kunai.

"I'll protect you! That promise I made, I meant it. I'll never stand by again!" Naruto said, roaring he threw the Heartless off him and turned to Sora. "I never go back on my ninja way!" Naruto reached for Sora's hand, a wide grin on his face.

Sora nodded, taking Naruto's hand, standing. "Then let's get rid of these guys!"

"Sure thing!"

* * *

"You acted on your own?" Maleficent asked, leaning back on her chair. Her gaze narrowed as she glared at the kneeling form before her. Sighing she waved her staff.

"I'm sorry my Lady," Adonis began. "He was much stronger than I thought. Since the Demon Brothers failed you... If you give me one more chance—"

Maleficent held up her hand, interrupting him. Her slender fingers hovered over the crystal ball as her eyes left Adonis, wavering to the magical glass. _'The Demon of the Hidden Mist is becoming restless to shed blood. I must keep him under control.'_ Maleficent sneered, thinking of the shinobi, Zabuza. His strength had been a great asset to her so far. If only she could completely engross him in the darkness. _'Then he can be put to good use.' _Zabuza's will had been strong. Even she found it difficult to invade his heart.

She glared at Adonis. "Leave me. I've got a Demon to break."

* * *

**Happy New Year! Wow, I can't believe I updated semi-early! I already had this chapter planned out, so I thought, "Why not go ahead and write it then update?" So I did! I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Please drop a review! They tell me how I am doing, what I need to improve on ect. The story is going to be moving fast paced from here on out! So hold on to your seats!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Let's Relax in the Village! What?! More Training?!**

"Be careful to not overturn the boat," the guide said, stepping into the vessel. He held out his hand to Sakura so she could step in without much effort. Sora and the rest of the team followed, Kakashi being the last to enter.

After several seconds of glancing around, the guide turned to them, his brows slanted in seriousness. "Keep your hands inside the boat. This mist is thick, and it will be hard finding you in this murky water should you fall out," he said in a whisper.

Mist blanketed the air, depriving them of sight. Sora nodded and held onto the side of the dingy, looking around them. He peered through the haze, at the dock as the guide pushed the boat away from the shore. Sakura scooted closer to Sasuke, her eyes glimmered as he glanced at her, and then looked away. Sora grimaced at the hurt expression that covered her face as she stared across the water. _'I wish Sasuke weren't so mean to her.'_

Before long, Team 7 would reach the Land of Waves. Sora frowned, his gaze wandering to Naruto. The blonde boy sat next to Kakashi, his face twisted in a sour grimace.

_'He's not enjoying this,' _Sora thought, staring ahead. They continued down the river in remote silence, listening to the music of the insects on the lily pads. The sound unnerved Sora, causing him to fiddle in his seat. Everything about this place seemed spooky to him.

"We're almost there," said the guide, glancing at them. "Only several more minutes and we'll cross the border."

"Great," Naruto said, slinging his arm over the boat. "It's boring in this thing!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "You're one to talk."

"What did you say?"

"Hey, you two," Kakashi said, his eyes narrowed at the boys. "Calm down. You can beat each other once we reach the village. Tipping the boat over won't do us any good now, will it?"

The two ninjas muttered insults under their breath, turning away from each other. Sakura sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. _'Idiot Naruto!' _

Sora cleared his throat, calling attention to himself. "Um, Tazuna? Why is the bridge so important?"

Tazuna turned to him, stroking his long beard. "A while ago, a thug called Gato came into town. The Land of Waves had already suffered much hardship, and looked for any way out of debt. He offered to help many villages in exchange for setting up his business there." Tazuna stopped, breathing deep. "Instead of helping the villages, he began to terrorize them. He drove the villages to the ground with his gangs."

"What a jerk," Sakura said, clenching her fists.

Tazuna nodded. "The Land of Waves is separated from the mainland, so our economy fell. But if I can build this bridge, we can trade with other countries."

"You wouldn't have to rely on Gato's business anymore," Kakashi said.

"Yes."

"That's why he sent assassins after you," said Sasuke, his voice level.

"Yes."

Sasuke shrugged. He just wanted to finish the assignment as soon as possible.

"We're here," the guide said, pointing ahead. The mist began to clear, revealing a half built bridge several yards away.

Sora gasped as they came closer, seeing the span of it. Bricks and straw sat on top of it, abandoned by the workers. _'Gato must have scared them away.' _

Reaching the dock, the team unloaded, thanking their guide.

"Now where to?" Sakura asked, looked around. Thick fog blanketed the whole village, reducing the team to peer through it. Fishing boats bobbed in the water, tied to the dock by thick rope. Several small huts sat on the dock.

"We'll stay in my home," Tazuna said, motioning for them to follow. "It's the least I can do to thank you."

* * *

Sora's nose filled with the smell of warm bread and spicy noodles. He closed his eyes and inhaled, then exhaled, enjoying the pleasant aroma. His stomach growled as he opened his eyes, staring at the table. Naruto sat next to him, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes wide in anticipation.

"Thank you so much for protecting my husband," Tazuna's wife said, setting food on the table. A large bowl of rice, noodles and beef lay on the table, filling the house with a homely aroma. She smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her eye. "I can't thank you enough."

"You're thanking us with food!" Naruto said, grabbing chopsticks. "That's thanks enough in my book."

Sora laughed, as Kakashi shook his head. Sakura rolled her eyes, blushing as her stomach growled. Sasuke glanced at her, a slight grin turning up his lips.

"Let's eat. We've got work ahead of us," Tazuna said. The team nodded, then turned their attention to the food. Naruto stuffed rice in his mouth, grinning.

"If you eat like that, you'll choke," Sakura warned, taking small bites. Naruto waved her off and continued eating. She shook her head, picking up a piece of meat, placing it on her plate. _'Naruto is such an idiot. He's so embarrassing! He eats like that all the time!' _Sakura frowned, glancing at the blonde boy. She gagged at food falling out of his mouth, watching as he stuffed noodles in it. _'He looks goofy.' _

The team continued to eat, occasionally commenting on the food, conversation punctuating their meal. After they finished, they offered to help clean up.

"All right team, get some rest. Tomorrow we'll resume training, and later guard the bridge as Tazuna works," Kakashi said, rubbing his eyes.

The students nodded.

Tazuna's wife directed them upstairs. "This is where you'll sleep." She opened the first door by the top of the stairs, four tatami mats lay on the floor, set with pillows and blankets. "You have done so much for us. Please, get your rest."

"Thank you for your kindness," Sakura said, bowing.

The older woman smiled, nodding. "You're welcome." She closed the door, leaving the team to unpack.

"I'm going to bed," Sasuke said, unrolled his sleeping bag.

Naruto scoffed, shaking his head. "What are you? An old man? It's not even 9 o'clock yet."

Sasuke shrugged. "Training starts tomorrow. At least I'll be ready."

"Sasuke's right," Sakura began. "We all should get some sleep tonight. Remember that Tazuna starts building the bridge tomorrow, and there's a chance that Gato might try to stop him."

Sora nodded. He fluffed up his pillow, glancing at Sasuke. Sasuke's gaze shifted from his bed to Sakura. The pink haired girl had already lay down, and now slept. Sasuke shook his head, his lips turning up slightly. He looked at Sora, his brows slanted.

"She falls asleep to easily," Sasuke said.

Sora smiled, falling back on his mat. "At least she can sleep."

"You'd fall asleep too if you stopped talking," Naruto mumbled, crossing his arms. Sasuke sneered at him, but followed his example and buried himself under the covers.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Sora asked, following Kakashi through the woods.

Kakashi grinned, motioning towards a clearing. "For training. You didn't think just because we're on a mission we wouldn't train did you?"

"I did," Naruto grumbled, wiping his eyes. He hadn't slept well last night, causing him to be in a foul mood. He kicked up grass and leaves along the trail, stealing glances at Sasuke. _'He thinks he's so cool. I'll show him at today's training, I can do everything he can do. I can do it better!' _Naruto caught up with their teacher, his eyes wide. "What are we doing today, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Climbing trees."

Naruto's grin disappeared. Tree climbing? How could that make him a better shinobi? "Well that's stupid—ouch!" he cried as Sakura smacked his head.

"It's chakra training, you idiot!" Sakura tapped her foot on the ground, her hands resting on her hips. "Neji and Hinata can walk up trees already! We're haven't even started yet!"

"Shikamaru can't," the blonde mumbled, rubbing his head. "Neither can Chouji."

"Look at who they have for a sensei!" Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "Asuma-sensei is always slacking off, just like Shikamaru!"

"I think we'll begin now," Kakashi said, leaning against a tree. He patted it, looking at the branches. "Watch."

Sora gaped as he watched the ninja place his foot on the tree and begin walking up the trunk. _'I've never seen anyone climb a tree like that before.' _Sora remembered seeing how Tarzan could ride the branches of the trees in the jungle and how excited he had been to see it then. That had been the closest thing to walking up a tree. Sora closed his mouth as Kakashi turned to his students, waving at them.

"How's he doing that?" Sakura asked, gasping.

"Oi!" Kakashi called down. "By focusing your chakra on the bottom of your feet you can climb trees like this. It's something you can do once you are good with chakra control."

"How is this going to make us stronger?" Naruto yelled, crossing his arms. Sora shushed him.

"You need to learn how to control your chakra. Use too much and you'll be left with none when you need it, use too little and you won't complete techniques right. It's about using the right amount of chakra for the needed action." Kakashi closed his eyes as if in thought. "If you can master this, you should be able to master any jutsu." He threw four kunai down. "Mark these to see how far you can get."

Sora looked at the tree, his mind wandering to a different time. He hadn't used trees for much else other than building rafts and playing hide and seek.

* * *

"A raft?" Kairi asked, staring at the boys. She placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Riku."

"Of course it is. Haven't you always wanted to see what's out there?" Riku stared across the ocean, tinted orange by the sunset. "I know there's more than just Destiny Islands. I want to see the world."

Sora nodded. "We'll go together." He finished tying the rope around the logs, and placed his backpack on the raft. Sea water lapped at his feet, bringing a cool breeze. Sora breathed in deep, relishing the evening air. He smiled at Kairi. "All of us have always wandered about what's out there. Maybe it's time we do."

Kairi smiled, her eyes wandering out to the sea. "Maybe."

"Everything will be okay," Riku assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Sora and I will protect you."

Sora nodded. "We won't let anything happen to you."

Kairi glanced between the boys. "You promise?"

"We promise."

* * *

"Sasuke-kun! Sora-kun. Look up here!" Sakura called from somewhere above. Sora looked around until he found the pink haired girl waving at him.

He grinned and waved back. _'She's already at the top?' _"That's awesome Sakura!" Sora frowned, realizing he had slacked off while thinking. He had to get training so he could get stronger. _'So I can find Riku and Kairi!'_ He looked around for Naruto and Sasuke. "Where's Naruto and Sasuke?"

Sakura frowned, pointing to a tree behind him. Sora turned around to see both boys several yards away lying on the ground, breathing hard. _'I guess it's harder than it looks.' _He frowned, his shoulders sagging. If Sasuke couldn't get it down how could he? He glanced at Sakura. _'If she can do it, I can.' _

Sora clasped his hands together, focusing on the chakra in his body. _'I have to concentrate it into my feet like Kakashi said.' _Directing chakra felt strange to him, as if waves of energy moved inside his body. He had never felt anything like it before. _'I can feel it moving toward my feet.' _He walked toward the tree, closing his eyes. _'I need just the right amount of chakra. Just enough to connect with the tree.' _He placed his foot on the trunk, inhaling. He took a second step, then another.

"You're doing it Sora!" Sakura said, clapping her hands. She cheered him on as he continued up the tree.

Sora opened his eyes, the sun almost blinding him as he stared straight ahead. _'I did it.' _Sora scratched a mark in the trunk, grabbing onto a nearby branch. He swung himself on top, grinning from ear to ear. He had really did it! _'Riku would be so jealous!' _

"How'd you do that?" Naruto yelled, shaking his fist. "You cheated Sora!"

"No I didn't!'' Sora yelled, crossing his arms. "You're just mad because you can't do it!"

Naruto growled, pushing up his sleeves. "I'll show you!"

Sora watched as Naruto backed up several paces, his eyes on the tree Sora sat in. He began to get a back feeling. "Uh, Naruto, remember not to use too much—" he yelped as Naruto collided with the tree, shaking it. Sora grabbed onto the trunk, trying to regain his balance. "Naruto!"

"Haha! I got farther than Sasuke this time," Naruto said, wiping his forehead. He held the kunai tighter and backed up again.

"Naruto you're supposed to climb the tree!" Sora yelled.

"I am climbing it." Naruto grinned. "I'm just doing it my own way!"

Sora braced for impact as Naruto ran up the tree halfway, his lack of chakra control caused his feet to split the bark as he ran. _'Not good.' _

"Naruto stop you'll break the tree!" Sakura screamed, waving her fist. "You'll hurt Sora-kun you idiot!"

Naruto marked the tree again, then flipped back, landing on the ground. _'One more time and I'll be at the top!' _He gathered his chakra into the bottom of his feet, and breathed deep, trying to control his beating heart. _'If this is what it takes to be Hokage, then I'll do it all the way! With all I have.' _Naruto grinned. This would be it. He ran as fast as he could, picking up speed. He ignored the yells from Sakura and bounded up the tree toward Sora.

He didn't notice that the bark below his feet had flew off from his chakra, or that the tree seemed to tilt to the side. All he saw was the top of the tree. "Eh?" Naruto gasped, as the tree swayed. He looked behind him to see the trunk almost severed. _'Darn.' _He yelled as the tree began falling toward the forest floor, hanging onto the trunk. The crash reverberated through the forest.

For several moments, Naruto saw nothing but darkness. _'My head hurts.' _He heard voices above him.

"Idiot."

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Naruto! Are you okay?" Sakura cried, running to him. She knelt beside him, shaking him. "You're bleeding!" She tore her hands away from his chest where red liquid had started to leak through.

"Sakura-chan you really do care about me." Naruto coughed, grabbing Sakura's hand. Her eyes watered as she rested her head on his chest.

"Don't die you idiot—Naruto..." Sakura growled, her demeanor changed in an instant. She sniffed his shirt. "This is juice!"

Sora winced as the smack echoed through the woods, leaving a bright red mark on Naruto's face. He sighed, shaking his head as Sakura continue to hit Naruto. _'I thought he had been hurt.' _

"You hid a juice box in your shirt!" Sakura yelled. She raised her hand to hit him again, but Sasuke stopped her.

"Leave him alone. His stupidity might rub off on you."

"I'm not stupid!" Naruto said, sitting up.

_'No Naruto, you're more than just stupid.' _Sora thought, grinning at his blonde friend. He leaned on his Keyblade. _'He's something entirely different.'_

* * *

**_Hello! I'm so sorry for getting this chapter out late. I had some very interesting things going on concerning the house and babysitting. I hope that you all continue reading it and forgive me for being so late!  
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**_Painterofemotions  
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